Grimes said his client decided to come clean about the hoax in an attempt to “heal.”

“He knows that if he doesn’t come out and tell the truth, it will interfere with him getting out of this place that he is in,” Grimes said.

“This is part of my public healing,” Grimes quoted Tuiasosopo as saying.

Dr. Phil McGraw, who spoke with Tuiasosopo for an interview set to air this week, described the 22-year-old as “a young man that fell deeply, romantically in love” with Te’o. McGraw, speaking on the “Today” show, said he asked Tuiasosopo about his sexuality, and the 22-year-old said he was “confused.”

In a short clip of the “Dr. Phil” interview, Tuiasosopo told McGraw that he wanted to end his relationship with Te’o because he “finally realized that I just had to move on with my life.”